Afghanistan: Opium

Lord Blaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What study they have made of the means, whether human, motorised or animal, by which most of the opium or related products are transported away from the poppy fields in Afghanistan; and what was the result of any such study.

Lord Triesman: The routes, methods and those involved in drugs trafficking in and from Afghanistan are subject to ongoing investigation by UK and other agencies. The information gathered is used to support the efforts of the Afghan authorities in frustrating the drug trade. The annual United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime opium survey also contains information on trafficking. Traffickers have been known to use a range of different methods, primarily those raised in the noble Lord's Question, to transport opium and related products from poppy fields. The methods vary within and between provinces.

Airports: Heathrow

Baroness Ludford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they expect to publish the final report of the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow is a work programme aimed at reviewing the scope for further development of the airport while meeting environmental limits, particularly on air quality and noise. We plan to publish the results in the context of a public consultation exercise later this year, once the environmental assessment has been completed.

Bangladesh: Chittagong Hill Tracts

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have received information from the caretaker Government of Bangladesh about their intention to comply with the 1997 Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.

Lord Triesman: We do not as yet have any information from the caretaker Government of Bangladesh about their policies regarding the Chittagong Hill Tracts and the implementation of the 1997 peace accord. Officials from our High Commission in Dhaka expect to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts in mid-March. This will provide an opportunity for an assessment of the current situation there.

Children: Rights

Baroness Walmsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will issue for consultation the United Kingdom's draft periodic report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Lord Adonis: The Government intend to invite comments from non-governmental organisations on the UK draft periodic report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. No date has yet been set.

Children: Rights

Baroness Walmsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is in their response to the latest state of children's rights in England report from the Children's Rights Alliance for England.

Lord Adonis: The Government have not responded to the Children's Rights Alliance for England report, State of Children's Rights in England 2006. The Government will outline how they have implemented the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and how they have addressed the concluding observations presented by the United Nations in 2002 in the forthcoming UK report on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Children: UN Conventions

Baroness Walmsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which Minister has lead responsibility for ensuring that the United Kingdom complies with the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and whether that responsibility is listed in that Minister's portfolio; and
	Who will be responsible for co-ordinating government action on any recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child following its examination of the United Kingdom in 2008.

Lord Adonis: The Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families has the lead responsibility for ensuring that the United Kingdom complies with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and this is part of the Minister's portfolio. The Minister also has overall responsibility for co-ordinating any action on recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Children: UN Conventions

Baroness Walmsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Sub-Committee on Children's Policy of the Ministerial Committee on Domestic Affairs had discussions relating to (a) the United Kingdom's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and (b) the recommendations relating to the United Kingdom made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2002.

Lord Adonis: Information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet committees is generally not disclosed, as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Children: UN Conventions

Baroness Walmsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consideration is being given in the current Comprehensive Spending Review to the United Kingdom's obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular the recommendations in 2002 of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Lord Adonis: Implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is part of a broader government commitment of promoting and improving the outcomes for all children and young people. This is being considered in the context of the Comprehensive Spending Review, in particular through the joint HMT/DfES policy review of children and young people.

EU: Armed Forces

Lord Blaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How European Union Battlegroups are compared; and what is their function.

Lord Triesman: EU Battlegroups are composed of about 1,500 troops and support elements from one or more nations. Their purpose is to enable the EU to respond rapidly to emerging crises; for example, in support of UN operations.

EU: Armed Forces

Lord Blaker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What countries are represented in the European Union Battlegroups; and what is the size of each group.

Lord Triesman: All EU member states, except Denmark, which does not participate in military European security and defence policy, and Malta, have committed forces to the current EU Battlegroups roster, which ends in 2010. Norway and Turkey have also done so. Each Battlegroup is comprised of about 1,500 troops and is on standby for a six-month period.

EU: Membership

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 8 February (WA 154—5), which of the republics that comprised the former USSR are deemed under Article 49 of the treaty on European Union to be European states for the purpose of potential European Union membership in the longer term.

Lord Triesman: Article 49 of the treaty on European Union states that any European country may apply for membership if it respects the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. We share the Commission's opinion, expressed in its 1992 report Europe and the Challenge of Enlargement, that "European" means,
	"the shared experience of proximity, ideas, values, and historical interaction [and therefore] cannot be condensed into a simple formula, and is subject to review by each succeeding generation ... it is neither possible nor opportune to establish now the frontiers of the European Union, whose contours will be shaped over many years to come".

EU: Membership

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 8 February (WA 154—5), which other countries that lie to the east and south of the European Union as presently constituted are deemed under Article 49 of the treaty on European Union to be European states for the purpose of potential European Union membership in the longer term.

Lord Triesman: Article 49 of the treaty on European Union states that any European country may apply for membership if it respects the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law. We share the Commission's opinion, expressed in its 1992 report Europe and the Challenge of Enlargement, that "European" means,
	"the shared experience of proximity, ideas, values, and historical interaction [and therefore] cannot be condensed into a simple formula, and is subject to review by each succeeding generation ... it is neither possible nor opportune to establish now the frontiers of the European Union, whose contours will be shaped over many years to come".

EU: Single Market

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which proposals advanced within the European Union under the provisions of Article 308 of the treaty establishing the European Union do not relate to the working of the single market.

Lord Triesman: Proposals advanced within the European Union under the provisions of Article 308 of the treaty establishing the European Community must relate to the working of the common market. Where Article 308 is proposed as a legal base, the Government provide Parliament with an Explanatory Memorandum explaining the connection of the proposal to the course of the common market.

Extraordinary Rendition

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they accept the Council of Europe's figures for United States rendition flights through British aerodromes; and whether they now will ascertain the personal details and ultimate destinations of all civilians carried on United States military flights and on aircraft under contract to United States agencies which use British aerodromes.

Lord Triesman: The UK has found no evidence of detainees being rendered through the UK or the overseas territories since 1997, where there were substantial grounds to believe there was a real risk of torture. Additionally, we have no evidence that the US Government have rendered any detainee through UK territory or airspace, including the overseas territories, during the present US Administration; that is, since January 2001. We are clear that the US would not render a detainee through UK territory or airspace, including the overseas territories, without our permission. We would grant such permission only if we were satisfied that the rendition would accord with UK law and our international obligations.
	Neither the secretary-general of the Council of Europe's reports of 28 February and 14 May 2006 on the question of secret detention and transport of detainees suspected of terrorist acts nor the recent report of the European Parliament on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners has provided any new evidence in respect of the UK. We do not propose to ascertain these details routinely in the absence of any such evidence of unlawful actions in our territory or airspace.

Health: Voluntary and Community Sector Partnership Team

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the reply by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 17 January (WA 159) about the Department of Health's voluntary and community sector partnership team, what further representations they have now received from the National International Forum; and what reply they will be sending.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: In addition to the representation from the chair of the National Information Forum referred to in my previous reply, a further representation was made by Lord Morris of Manchester to Mrs Anne McGuire, the Minister for Disabled People at the Department of Work and Pensions, on 2 October 2006. I understand that his letter was followed up by a meeting on 10 October 2006.

Housing: Energy Reports

Baroness Hanham: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much energy reports which accompany home information packs will cost.

Baroness Andrews: The price of an energy performance certificate will be set by the market and not by government.

Iraq: Health Minister

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the arrest of Iraqi Health Minister Al-Shammari by United States forces in Baghdad on 8 February.

Lord Triesman: We do not comment on individual detention cases and we understand that the detention on 8 February 2007 refers to the Deputy Health Minister, Hakem Al-Zamili, rather than the Health Minister, Ali Al-Shammari.

Israel and Palestine: Mecca Peace Accord

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the Mecca peace and national unity accord, in particular the willingness by President Abbas to include the 2002 peace talks and previous agreements signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Lord Triesman: We welcome President Abbas's efforts for intra-Palestinian reconciliation. We welcome Saudi Arabia's efforts to broker an agreement between Fatah and Hamas in Mecca.
	It is essential that all sides comply with the principles set out by the quartet, in particular that the new national unity Government uphold previous international agreements, recognise Israel and renounce violence. We await the final details of the new national unity Government. We hope that all sides will work together to drive the peace process forward.
	The EU position is set out in the General Affairs and External Relations Council conclusions of 12 February, which called for,
	"a Palestinian Government which adopted a platform reflecting the Quartet principles".
	The quartet statement of 21 February expressed its,
	"appreciation for the role of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and the cessation of violence among Palestinians".
	The UK supports both positions.

Official Documents: Twelvetrees Crescent Warehouse

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Davies of Oldham on 1 February (WA 77), whether, from the titles and likely content of those files relating to the Millennium Experience destroyed in the Iron Mountain fire in July 2006, any reference to Philip Anschutz or any of his organisations or associates would have been included.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Although we have no way of confirming this, it is extremely unlikely that there were any references to Philip Anschutz or any of his organisations or associates, as they would not have been pertinent to the administration of the Millennium Commission grant.

Terrorism: Tamil Tigers

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the offer made to the Government of Sri Lanka by the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Dr Kim Howells, to talk to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam about the peace process in Sri Lanka is consistent with their policy on engaging with terrorists.

Lord Triesman: I can assure the noble Lord that the offer made by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Kim Howells, is entirely consistent with the policy of the Government and with UK legislation. Neither the UK's proscription of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) nor the EU's listing of that organisation prohibits contacts by the Government with the LTTE in furtherance of the peace process.